Op-ed: Oklahoma must stop forcing students into DEI Classes

Oklahoma Must Stop Forcing Students into DEI Classes 

By Timothy K. Minella 

 

President Donald Trump has demolished federal subsidies for radical “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) programming. But until state lawmakers in Oklahoma act as well, students will still be forced to take courses intended to indoctrinate them in the poisonous ideology behind DEI.  

Oklahoma’s public universities are not immune from the destructive effects of DEI. In December 2023, Governor Kevin Stitt issued an executive order prohibiting discriminatory DEI programs at public universities in Oklahoma. President Trump’s recent executive orders targeted these discriminatory practices at the federal level. But despite these welcome actions, DEI still maintains a strong and toxic presence in Oklahoma’s universities through course requirements that force students into politicized DEI courses simply to obtain a degree. 

For example, Oklahoma State University (OSU) mandates that all undergraduates take one course in the category of “Diversity.” Students fulfilling this requirement are expected to “reflect on identity through an examination of one or more underrepresented groups (e.g. racial, ethnic … gender … sexual orientation) in present day United States.” Students must also “critically analyze theories and systems of cultural, societal, political, or economic power.” 

The “Diversity” requirement’s emphasis on “underrepresented groups” and “systems of cultural power” reveals the activist agenda behind this seemingly neutral requirement. As a former college professor, I know that such language reflects the flawed assumptions of DEI. This ideology teaches that American society is a rigged system in which the “oppressors” (white people, men, and/or “cisgender” individuals) use law, culture, and institutions to subjugate the “oppressed” (“underrepresented groups”).  

The political agenda here is clear: students must be taught that the United States is a systemically bigoted country, which justifies radical action to replace the American constitutional order with something more equitable.  

In addition to having an obvious political agenda, this course requirement wastes an enormous amount of taxpayer and tuition money. The Goldwater Institute, where I work, found that satisfying OSU’s DEI mandate costs students and state taxpayers approximately $10 million over each four-year period in which the student body has to complete the requirement. This is the minimum cost; the cost could be as high as $46 million. This is money that could be spent promoting more academically serious coursework or streamlining the completion of students’ degrees.  

No student seeking a degree at a public university should be forced to take courses that promote an activist agenda over more rigorous academic pursuits. President Trump’s executive orders explicitly (and appropriately) exempted academic instruction in higher education from protections against discriminatory DEI practices. Oversight of the academic curriculum rightly belongs to the states, not the federal government. Oklahoma legislators must act to end mandatory political indoctrination in academic coursework.  

Fortunately, legislative champions in Oklahoma have introduced a bill that puts an end to politicized DEI course requirements. Under this bill, public universities may not force students into DEI courses as a condition of obtaining any degree or certificate. The bill also protects academic freedom by preventing universities from instructing faculty to “diversify” their courses by curating materials based on the race, sex, or gender identity of authors.  

By passing this legislation, Oklahoma would join others who have rid their state of ideological indoctrination. Florida successfully eliminated DEI courses from general education requirements this fall, and several other states, including Wyoming, Iowa, and Arizona, have recently introduced legislation to eliminate DEI course mandates. 

Even if public institutions immediately ended all other formal DEI practices, DEI course requirements would ensure that indoctrination in this poisonous ideology continues unabated. By protecting students from mandatory classroom indoctrination, Oklahoma can complete the counterattack against DEI and return public institutions to their core missions: the pursuit of truth and the education of citizens.  

Timothy K. Minella is a Senior Fellow at the Goldwater Institute’s Van Sittert Center for Constitutional Advocacy. He previously served on the faculty of the Lewis Honors College at the University of Kentucky, and has also taught at Emory University and Villanova University.